Milford Sound also known by its indigenous Māori name Piopioptahi is one New Zealand's most popular tourist destinations. It's one of those places I've wanted to visit for a long time. I first learned of Milford Sound when I was a young boy. My mother, who worked at a hotel at the time, would sometimes …
On a trip to the Dominican Republic a few years ago, we stayed in the southern part of the country in La Romana. It was a resort type vacation, just to relax and take it easy, but we kept hearing about this quaint little Mediterranean village that was worthy of a day trip. We decided …
Continue reading Altos de Chavón, a replica of a Mediterranean village in the Dominican Republic.
My wife Trudy and I have always wanted to travel to New Zealand, and after a lot of research, we decided that the best way to see a lot of the country was to travel by campervan. We took up the challenge in 2023 and after logging more than 4000 kms (roughly 2500 miles) we …
Continue reading The Pancake Rocks in Punakaiki, a quick stop on our New Zealand campervan journey.
It's like the earth is a canvas and Nature the artist who paints multiple masterpieces daily. As humans, we may not always agree on everything, but I would argue that you'd be hard pressed be to find someone who doesn't enjoy a beautiful sunrise or sunset. Throughout our travels, we've been witness to some of …
Continue reading A few Sunrises and Sunsets from around the world.
Our road trip California continued with a two-night stay in a town we'd never heard of, Solvang. Just 45 minutes from Santa Barbara, this quaint and charming small town in the Santa Ynez valley, evokes the feeling of being in a Danish village. It's like travelling internationally without leaving the country. Flower lined streets, half-timbered …
Continue reading California road tripping: Solvang, a little piece of Denmark in the U.S.A.
The history of the Panama Canal has always been of great interest to me. The idea of shortening the route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans is something that was thought about since the 1500's and as certain technologies advanced, a serious effort was made in the late 1800's by the French to construct a …
Continue reading The Panama Canal and the West Indian workers who helped build it.
On a recent trip to California, my wife and I visited our daughter and son in law, and they took us to this quaint little town we'd never heard of called Ojai (pronounced Oh-hi.) Located about 2 hours northwest of Los Angeles or about a half an hour from Ventura Beach, this town has a …
Continue reading California road trip: Check out this unique bookstore in Ojai.
Hell’s Gate is a geothermal reserve and mud spa in Rotorua, New Zealand and is an area of historical significance for the local Māori people who have used it for centuries as a place for healing and general wellbeing. As you drive up, that distinct smell of sulphur is ever present in the air. Here you can …
Did you know there's a Celtic festival that's celebrated in Barbados annually? Wait, what? you may be asking yourself, "what's the connection?" Well, Barbados was a former English colony and during the Irish Scottish wars with England, (the Wars of the Three Kingdoms,) military commander Oliver Cromwell, had Irish, Scottish and Welsh prisoners transported throughout …
Continue reading Celtic Festival in Barbados, yes, Barbados!
Christmas in Barbados is not unlike many places in the world. Just switch the cold and snow to sun and sand and the traditions are somewhat similar. First of all, the house has to be spruced up, maybe some fresh paint and new curtains for sure. There are church services, traditional Christmas music about winter …
Continue reading The Queen’s Park stroll, a Christmas tradition in Barbados since 1907.
Barbados is many things to many people. There is a plethora of things to do on this 166 sq mile Caribbean Island and my wife and I are always seeking out and finding interesting off the beaten path places that most tourists and even some locals don't even know about. If you're a student of …
Continue reading Why we love the rugged coastlines and idyllic beaches of Barbados.
Having a little green space in the heart of a bustling city like Bridgetown is always a good thing that's why the Golden Square Freedom Park was a welcome addition to the city's landscape. This is a new park having only been opened in November 2021 to commemorate Barbados' transition from a parliamentary monarchy (Queen …
Continuing our Australian East Coast Road trip, we left the seaside town of Shoal Bay in the morning in pouring rain, trying to get a jump on the day. We'd had great weather all along, but Shoal Bay was a wash out as was Coffs Harbour the previous day, as it was a full day …
Continue reading Blue Mountains National Park, an easy day trip from Sydney.
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Seattle's Gum wall. Near Pike's Market in Seattle, Washington, is one of those weird attractions you come across as you travel. The custom of sticking gum to this wall goes back to the early 1990's. Patrons of the nearby Market Theatre would leave their gum on the wall as the waited in line for shows. …
Australia has many offshore islands, some with their own unique features. We decided to add a trip to Fraser Island which now goes by its traditional name, K'Gari (pronounced Gurri, the K is silent) to our itinerary since we would be in the area of Hervey Bay on our Aussie East Coast Road trip. K'Gari, …
Continue reading Visit Fraser Island, (K’Gari), Australia, the world’s largest sand island.
What an awesome experience, time spent with a Maasai family, Ngorongoro, Tanzania.
After we finished up our road trip Australia in Sydney, we took a side trip to the town of Yulara in the Red Center, to see Uluru (Ayer's Rock) and Kata Tjuta (The Olgas.) There are a few ways to do this. Fly to Alice Springs, then drive 5.5 hours to Yulara or fly directly …
Continue reading Yulara, gateway to Uluru and Kata Tjuta in Australia’s Red Centre.
The islands of the Caribbean have a very interesting history. From the Amerindians, Arawaks, Caribs and Tainos who were the earliest inhabitants, to the African slaves brought in to work the sugar fields, Scottish and Irish prisoners of war, indentured servants from India, Middle Easterners, Jews fleeing persecution in Europe, Chinese and of course the …
Continue reading The street of mansions, the Magnificent Seven of Trinidad.
Taking up an entire city block, the Queen Victoria Building is home to finest, most elegant shopping experience in Sydney. It borders George, Market, York and Druitt streets in the Central Business District (CBD) and definitely stands out amongst the modern skyscrapers. It was built between 1893 and 1898 on the location of the old …
Continue reading Inside the iconic Queen Victoria Building which houses Sydney’s finest mall.
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Ever since its inception in 2009, the VIVID Sydney festival, a spectacle of color, light and sound, has been delighting locals and tourists. There are 3D art projections, performing artists, interactive attractions and lots of culinary offerings. Another feature is an 8 km light walk that encompasses the various neighborhoods throughout the city. This year's …
Continue reading Spectacular Sydney, Australia, VIVID Festival, 2023.
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For more tropical flowers, check out one of my earlier blog posts.
Continuing our South American journey, we took a five-hour drive from Puno, Peru to La Paz, Bolivia. With the few border crossings we'd done on this trip, Bolivia was always the most challenging. To enter Bolivia, the American passport holders would need visas (US $160) so I and another traveler accompanied by one of our …
The Sandy Lane Gold Cup high stakes race has been a fixture on the Barbados horse racing calendar for forty years. It takes place in early March at the historic Garrison Savannah just outside of the capital Bridgetown. It's definitely an international affair as it attracts fans from across the globe. Racing began at the …
Continue reading The biggest sporting event in Barbados: The Sandy Lane Gold Cup.
Growing up in Barbados in the 60's, almost everyone we knew kept livestock of some kind in their backyard. This would include pigs, sheep, goats, and chickens. In addition, there would be an herb and vegetable garden, (kitchen garden as it's called) at the side of the house. Part of producing some of your food …
Located next to the Space Needle in Seattle Washington, the Chihuly Garden and Glass is definitely worth a trip if you're ever in the area. Plan on a couple of hours here as the garden and the glasshouse are mesmerizing. In addition to viewing all the amazing glass sculptures, you can relax at the bar …
Continue reading CHIHULY GARDENS & GLASS, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.
The Colin Hudson Great Train Hike is an annual event that's held on the third Sunday in February. This 38 km (24 mile) trek traces the route of the old Barbados Railway line that ran from Bridgetown in the southwest to Belleplaine in the northeast. In the 1800's, Barbados was one of the leading producers …
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This 166 square mile island of Barbados with a population of around 280,000 people has over three hundred churches catering to about a hundred different denominations. English settlers arrived in 1625 and brought with them their Christian religion, mainly Anglicanism. They eventually established churches in all eleven parishes on the island. There was a small …
This section of the boardwalk on Barbados' southwest coast is the site of a soon to be constructed hotel. To beautify the area, local artists were encouraged to display some of their works. No nicer way to cap off a Sunday afternoon boardwalk stroll than with a beautiful Caribbean sunset.
The next phase of our trip through South America would take us to the Bolivian Salt Flats, then on to Chile and the Atacama Desert which we'll recap in a subsequent post. A three-and-a-half-hour drive took us from the dusty mining town of Potosi to Uyuni. This town is the starting point for a lot …
Continue reading CROSSING THE UYUNI SALT FLATS IN BOLIVIA, 2022.
The birth of the Barbadian (Bajan) chattel house came out of necessity for the newly freed slaves of this former British colony, to be able build a house that could be moved from site to site since they didn't own any land. The word "chattel" refers to one's portable possessions which included slaves. Free but …
Continue reading The chattel house, an icon on the Barbadian landscape
Tunnel Beach, located just 15 minutes south of Dunedin on New Zealand's southeast coast, is another one of those cool spots you can visit as you travel around the South Island. We were headed to the seaport town of Bluff on the southernmost tip of the island so a two-hour break from driving to check …
Continue reading New Zealand road trip, Tunnel Beach, South Island.
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